The Truth is Really a Lie
by WanderingSoulsofDarkness
Summary: The McQuaid brothers are back and working on their toughest case yet. When Ariana Langscar proves to be more than just another student, Hanson finds himself fighting for her heart, as well as their lives. Can he do it, or will her past catch up? TOM/OC
1. New Kids at School

Alright, so, I love Johnny Depp, and 21 Jump Street. Therefore, I had to write a fanfic about one of Johnny's greatest characters, Tom Hanson. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE R&R. 

**Author's Note: I, unfortunately, do not own anything from 21 Jump Street.**

* * *

"Did you hear? We have two new students coming in sometime this week. They're brothers of some sort. Real bad characters."

Ariana Demark closed the blue metal locker in front of her, turning to her red-headed friend. "Really? And that's exciting?"

"Well, duh!" The sixteen year old flipped some of her hair behind her shoulder, smiling. "It's about time we got something new to look at!"

"Wow, Beth. You're unbelievable. Imagine if Johnny heard you saying that." Ariana readjusted her books in her arms, wondering just where Beth's and her boyfriends were.

"Ahhh!"

Every head in the hall turned to the front doors of the school as they flew open. Ariana raised a brow as two guys stormed in, looking big, angry, and mean. Well, only one looked big and mean, the other looked small and mean.

"Ari, you think that's them?" Beth asked, excitement in her voice.

Ariana eyed the two newcomers, completely un-phased by their tough act. "They certainly are real bad characters."

"And totally H.O.T.!" Beth immediately started to mess with her hair, along with half the other girls in the hallway.

Ariana, on the other hand, threw the two a dirty look and turned to her friend. "Oh, come on. Don't give them the satisfaction. Just pretend like you don't even see them. Besides, Johnny will be here any minute, and you sure as Hell don't want him walking in to find you flirting with one of those… Things."

Beth rolled her eyes, waving Ariana's comment off with her free hand. "Johnny is always late, and besides, it's not like he doesn't still flirt with other girls. It's okay if it's just harmless flirting."

Before Ariana could say anything, the taller, bigger of the two brothers was whistling at Beth, turning and walking backwards so he could eye her up and down. Beth bit her lower lip, waving slightly with her hand that wasn't holding three different books. The other brother, the shorter yet toned one, stared at Ariana for a few seconds, eyeing her quickly before punching his brother in the arm and nodding in the other direction.

Ariana scoffed, grabbing Beth's hand and throwing another dirty look at the two brothers before pulling Beth off to their first class, Physics.

* * *

"I can't believe you would do that!"

"I know, what is wrong with you?"

Beth rolled her eyes, smirking as she poked at Ariana. "She's saving herself… For Ty."

The two girls sitting at the lab table in front of Ariana and Beth looked at each other before locking eyes on Ariana. "Ohhhhh! How cute!" they said in perfect unison.

"Oh will you three shut up. Those two McQueen brothers are nothing but trouble."

"It's McQuaid-" Emma, the thin blonde stated.

"It's whatever." Ariana cut her off. "If you three were smart, you'd stay away from both of them."

"Don't be such a mom, Ariana. We're just messing around," Lilly, the tan, black haired one scoffed.

Lilly and Emma turned off into their own conversation, and Ariana sighed, shaking her head. If only they knew. Ariana had her fill of guys like the McQuaid brothers, she knew their kind all too well. She was, after all, and undercover cop.

* * *

Once the professor was standing behind his desk, the room gradually fell silent.

"Good morning class, nice to see you all here today. Perfect attendance means perfect grades, ya know."

Ariana rolled her eyes again. She had to admit, this guy was intelligent, really good at sciences and all, but horrible at lecturing and giving advice.

"Now, why don't you all open your books to page 43 and we can-"

The door to the classroom opened, rather roughly, and who should walk in but the two guys that Ariana did not want to see.

"Uh, I, um, I'm sorry. You are?"

The two looked at the teacher, the corner of their mouths turning up at his nerdy appearance.

"He's Tom," the taller one said, pointing to the shorter one.

"He's Doug," Tom said, pointing to the taller guy.

"We're the McQuaid brothers." They spoke the last line in perfect unison, and loudly, giving each other a high five before looking around the class.

"So," Doug started. "Where we sittin', Teach?"

"Uh," the older man pushed his glasses up onto on his nose, stuttering. "Where-wherever you like, I suppose."

Tom and Doug had already started towards the back of the classroom before Mr. Hardigan had even spoke, and Ariana knew exactly where they were heading. She let out an aggravated sigh as they sat down at the empty lab table behind her and Beth.

"Do-do you boys have your b-books yet?"

Everyone in the class, save for Ariana, turned and looked at the two, who raised their brows in unbelievable looks.

"Uh, no." Doug stated sarcastically.

"Well, th-then I'm sure Miss Longbourn won't mind switching seats with one of you and share, and the other one can share with Miss Demark."

Ariana's eyes widened, and Beth stood quickly, nodding and smiling.

"Of course not!" She grabbed her things and walked to the table, taking the now empty seat next to Doug.

Ariana glanced over as Tom sat down next to her, eyeing her. He threw her a little grin, and Ariana rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"In your dreams, dirt ball." She opened her book to page 43 and slid it so it was between her and Tom.

"Now, if everyone will just follow along as I begin reading.." Mr. Hardigan started to read, and Ariana looked down, following along in the book.

However, it wasn't long before she felt eyes on her. She looked up, raising a brow at Tom, who was staring at her.

"What's your damage, pinhead? Got a couple loose screws up there? Or is it just completely empty?"

Tom's eyes widened slightly, having not expected her to be like that. Sure, he'd gone undercover in plenty of high schools, but this girl, there was something different about her. She seemed… not like the other high school girls. For one, they were all either afraid of him and Doug, or in love with them. This one, Miss Demark, was neither. She was the most stubborn, outspoken, and not to mention beautiful girl he'd ever met. Too bad he was a cop, and 22.

"Excuse me?" That was all he could think of to say. Had to keep up his image.

Ariana rolled her eyes. "Oh, dumb and deaf. That explains a lot. Like, your horrible taste in fashion, for one. Tell me, you and your brother do everything together?"

Oh yeah, Tom definitely liked this girl. His eyes narrowed slightly, trying to read her. He leaned over, arms folded beneath him as he rested against the lab table.

"What's your name?"

"Now why in the Hell would I tell you that?"

Tom shrugged, smirking. "I figure even a bitch has to have a name."

Ariana's eyes narrowed, and she clenched her jaw. "Be careful, bitches sometimes tend to bite." She looked down at her book, completely ignoring him for the rest of the 45 minutes that they were in that class.

* * *

"I can't believe you got to share your book with him!"

"What did he say?"

"Yeah, you have to tell us. It's like, against the best friend rules not to."

Ariana couldn't believe her friends were still talking about Physics class. After not being able to get anything out of Ariana about Tom, Emma and Lilly had started to interrogate Beth, who was all too willing to tell them everything.

"Don't worry! I swear I will tell you, but not now, Johnny's bringing the truck around." The other two said their goodbyes and walked down the sidewalk, towards their houses.

Beth turned to Ariana, suddenly serious. "Ari, there's something real important that I need to talk to you about."

Ariana's eyes widened, shocked by her friend's sudden change in attitude.

"What is it, Beth?"

Before Beth could answer, there was a loud series of honks, and the two girls turned to see Johnny's red truck pull up. He looked angry, and had the window rolled down.

"Beth, get in the truck."

Beth looked at Ariana's scared. "The old tree house, tonight, nine 'o clock."

"Now, Beth!"

Ariana shook her head, worried, as she watched her best friend climb into the truck. Johnny immediately pulled away from the curb, speeding down the street and disappearing.

Ariana watched after them for a minute, butterflies going crazy in her stomach. Beth was so scared, shaking. What could have her spooked like that? When Ariana turned around, she saw Tom and Doug. Tom was staring at her, brows furrowed in curiosity. Doug wasn't even paying attention, he was too busy picking on a couple of Freshmen.

Ariana shook it off and started walking towards her house, books clutched to her chest. She had to get home. Nine o'clock couldn't come fast enough now. She was sick with worry. She had to know what Beth needed to tell her, maybe it had something to do with the drug case that Ariana was currently working on…

* * *

**Well, there we go. How did ya like it? Good? Please R&R. ^.^**


	2. The McQuaids' Real Identities

Here's chapter 2! Hope everyone enjoys! Review after reading, please?? No reviews, no story...

**Author's Note: I do not own any part or anything from 21 Jump Street.**

* * *

Ariana was at the tree house exactly fifteen minutes before nine, a thin blanket beneath her. She waited, a bit impatiently, for her best friend, Beth to arrive. Ariana had known Beth for about four months now, having been undercover that long. They'd become friends instantly, and were practically inseparable.

Minutes ticked away slowly as Ariana waited in the corner of the tree house, constantly looked at her watch. Those minutes turned into hours, and the next thing Ariana knew, it was bright outside, and she could hear birds chirping.

She sat up, looking around. She'd fallen asleep, at what time she didn't know, but she did know that Beth had never showed. She looked at her watch, which read 6:30am. Ariana rubbed her eyes, standing and folding up her blanket. Why hadn't Beth showed up? She was never late, and never stood anybody up. It wasn't until Ariana was standing on the ground at the base of the tree that she heard sirens in the distance.

Brow raised, she walked across the grass and onto the sidewalk, listening as the sirens got closer. Something wasn't right. She knew it, she could feel it. There was a lump in her throat, something in the pit of her stomach that told Ariana something really bad had happened.

The sirens were in front of her now, passing her. Two cop cars, a fire truck, an ambulance, and three more cop cars.

Before she knew what was happening, Ariana had taken off into a run, blanket left on the ground. She followed the vehicles until they turned down the road that led to the school. She stopped, turning left and taking a shortcut through some backyards. She could still hear the sirens, they were echoing through her head.

Ariana ran out onto the parking lot of the school, stopping as she caught sight of all the vehicles pulled up to the door leading inside. There was a huge crowd already, half the student population, and the people that lived on the street around the school. Ariana hurried across the lot, pushing through the crowd and finally getting into the building. The hall was filled with students, all of them looking at her and shaking their heads as she walked past them.

She finally arrived at her destination, the girl's locker room. She pushed through the doorway, two paramedics knelt down in one of the shower stalls, another two talking behind them.

Ariana saw her then, Beth. The two paramedics on the ground were pulling a white sheet over her. It couldn't be real, it just couldn't. Ariana's eyes welled up with tears, and she shook her head, hand covering her mouth. One of the paramedics finally noticed her.

"Hey, you! You can't be in here. This is a crime scene." He stepped towards her, but Ariana pushed him away, shaking her head.

She turned, running from the room. Everyone in the hall was talking, about Beth, about Ariana. She pushed past them all, tears streaming down her cheeks. How could this happen? Beth, of all people, dead? Ariana knew exactly who did it, she was sure of it. That's why she went straight to the Chapel, to tell Captain Fuller about everything.

* * *

She stormed into the station, what used to be a Chapel. She walked straight to Fuller's office, throwing the door open and walking in before slamming it closed. Adam Fuller looked up at her, already knowing. He stood, attempting to comfort her.

"Ariana, please. Calm down."

"Don't!" She shook her head, pacing the office. "Don't tell me to calm down! Beth is dead, laying naked in the high school showers." She stopped, grabbing the back of a chair in front of Fuller's desk. "I know who did it. Doug McQuaid. He was harassing her yesterday at school, hitting on her and all."

"Ariana, I know for a fact that Doug McQuaid did not-"

"He did! She's dating Johnny, there's no way she would break up with him for that scum bag! He must have gotten mad and killed her for saying no. You have to arrest him! And his brother. You have to arrest-"

Fuller opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, the door to the office swung open, and Doug and Tom ran into the room.

"Captain, there's been a homicide, at North Point High."

Ariana's eyes widened, and she stood up, pointing at Doug. "You?"

Tom and Doug turned, having not even seen her there. Their eyes widened, and Doug raised a brow.

"Me?" He shook his head, pointing at Ariana. "You?"

Ariana clenched her jaw, and the next thing she knew, she was charging Doug, right hooking him square in the jaw. He went down fast, completely taken in shock.

Ariana tried to attack him again, but Tom grabbed her from behind, arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he pulled her back to the other side of the office.

"You killed her, you bastard! She never did anything to deserve this and now she's dead because you're a scum bag!" Ariana slowly stopped thrashing, and she ended up collapsing, crying.

Tom looked at Doug, who was sitting up on the floor, holding his jaw. Fuller was standing next to Doug, a sad look on his face as he stared at Ariana.

Tom slowly lowered Ariana to the floor, kneeling behind her and keeping his arms around her. But, it was no longer a hold to keep her from attacking, he was consoling her. Her entire body was shaking, and he could tell she was having trouble breathing.

After a minute or two, Ariana realized who was holding her, and she pushed him away, scooting back away from him.

"What… the Hell… Is going on…" She looked over at Fuller. "Captain?"

Tom helped Doug up, who was glaring at Ariana, as Fuller walked around his desk and sat down in his seat.

Ariana stood up, taking the seat at the far end of the desk and wiping her eyes. Tom sat in the seat next to her, Doug in the third seat. He was still holding his jaw.

Fuller sighed heavily before starting.

"Ariana, this is Detective Tom Hanson, and Detective Doug Penhall. Boys, this is Detective Ariana Langscar." Tom and Doug looked over at Ariana, eyeing her as Fuller continued. "She's been undercover at North Point for about five months now, started in the summer. She's been working on the same case that you boys were just assigned to."

"I don't need help." Ariana stated flatly, earning herself a glare from Doug.

"Fine. We don't want to help you."

Tom hit Doug in the arm, narrowing his eyes as Fuller looked between the three.

"Listen, what just happened here, I don't care. Ariana was upset, end of story. She's sorry she hit you, Doug, now get over it." Doug threw another glare at the girl, but she ignored him still.

"This is no longer just a drug bust. You three need to find out who murdered Beth, by working together."

Ariana glanced over at the other two, who glanced at her.

"I can't work with her, Captain! She hit me! For no reason!"

"I had perfectly good reason, you killed my best friend."

"I did not!"

"Well I thought you did!"

Tom threw his hands up. "Enough! Jesus." He looked at Doug, shaking his head. "You're twice her size, she couldn't have done any more damage." He then turned to Ariana. "We're cops, just like you. Whether you want to believe it or not, it's the truth. We aren't there to hurt anyone."

Ariana turned her head to look at him, eyes narrowed. "You two always hit on the teenage girls while undercover?"

Doug growled. "It's part of the act! How are we supposed to keep up our bad boy images if we ignore every girl in the school?"

Ariana narrowed her eyes. But before she could reply, Fuller jumped in.

"All of you, stop it!" He looked between the three, shaking his head. "Unbelievable. I can see why you fool everyone in the school, you act just like high schoolers." He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Now, here's how it's going to be. Ariana, you find out what you can about the people that Beth have been involved with lately. I need to know about fights, enemies, all of that. Hanson, Penhall, I want you two to find out anything you can from the McQuaid group. I need information to work with. Maybe Beth's homicide is somehow tied to the drug trafficking at the school."

Tom and Doug nodded, and Ariana stood, walking out of the office without another word. She walked out of the Chapel, heading down the street and towards her apartment. It was about a twenty minute walk, but she didn't mind. She could use the time to think.

* * *

She was halfway home when a sudden chill ran down her spine. Her walk slowed, and she glanced over across the street. Her eyes widened and she stopped, doing a double take. But, there was nothing there. She looked up and down the street, heart racing. It couldn't be, could it? No, it was impossible.

Ariana turned, starting into a fast paced walk. She had to get home, her mind was playing tricks on her. All of this brought back memories, memories that Ariana wanted to stay locked up in the back of her mind for the rest of her life.

* * *

"Mommy!" Ariana smiled as she walked through the door to her apartment, kneeling down and catching the six year old brunette in her arms. She stood, spinning the small girl around in her arms.

"Hi, baby. Mommy missed you." She smiled as she held her daughter, who was extremely excited.

"I made something for you today! It's a present."

Ariana smiled, raising a brow. "Really? For me?"

"Yeah. Come on." Her daughter squirmed out of her arms, grabbing Ariana's hand and pulling her into the kitchen. She climbed up in a chair at the island counter, grabbing a picture that she'd drawn and handing it to Ariana.

"Oh, Kelly, it's gorgeous. I'm going to hang it on my desk at work so everyone can see it."

Kelly's bright blue eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really-really." She smiled, kissing the top of her daughter's head. Turning, Ariana smiled at the older woman who was gathering her things by the apartment door.

"She was fantastic today, as always."

"Thank you, again, Mrs. Jennings. I know it was short notice."

"Oh, no problem darling. You know that Kelly is always welcome at my home, and I never have a problem babysitting for you. I know your job calls for you to be gone a lot." The older woman's face suddenly fell a bit. "Speaking of which, I'm terribly sorry about… School being cancelled today."

Ariana glanced at Kelly, nodding. "They said that we should be able to go back in a couple of days. But, thank you. Beth is a great friend… Was…"

Mrs. Jennings nodded, patting Ariana's shoulder before opening the apartment door and walking across the hall, to her own apartment. "See you later, darlings."

Ariana nodded, and Kelly waved. Ariana closed the door, turning and watching as Kelly sang happily, drawing another picture.

Kelly paused, looking over at her mom. "Are you gonna stay home with me today, Mommy?"

Ariana nodded, smiling and walking over, taking the seat beside her six year old daughter. "I am. My boss said that I could spend all day and night with you."

"Wow! Your boss is nice! Does this mean I can stay up late?"

Ariana laughed. "No way."

"Please, Mommy?"

With a sigh, Ariana nodded. "Okay, but just one hour."

"Okay, but I get to sleep in your room tonight!"

"Sounds like a deal." Ariana kissed the top her daughter's head again as the little girl went back to drawing and singing. Ariana watched, smile fading as her mind wandered back to the man she'd seen minutes ago. Her life was turning into a nightmare, and fast.

* * *

**Well, that's it for Ch. 2. Review please?!?! Thanks for reading!! ^.^**


	3. Mommy's Dream Car

Alrighty, here's chapter 3. Wow! Three chapters in less than 24 hours! Don't you all feel lucky? Please, please, please, PLEASE review! It's what helps me write!!

**Author's note: I don't own 21 Jump Street, any of it's characters, places, or... anything that was ever in the T.V. series.**

* * *

"Mommy, it's so early."

Ariana sighed as she brushed Kelly's curly brown hair, tying it up in a high ponytail.

"Kelly, mommy already told you. I need to talk to my boss. It's very important. And I told you last night to go to bed, but you just had to stay up late."

Kelly groaned, taking her mother's hand as they started out of their apartment.

"Can we at least get ice cream?"

Ariana laughed, locking the apartment and heading to the stairs. "Later, if you're good."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?" Fuller asked, brow furrowed.

"I don't know, it slipped my mind. I was a little busy punching Penhall's lights out."

Fuller eyed her, hands folded on his desk.

"Okay, so, tell me exactly what happened."

Ariana nodded, sitting down in the seat in front of Fuller. "Well, we were outside the school, and after Lilly and Emma left, Beth turned to me. She was scared, of what I don't know, but really scared." Ariana thought back on the last day that her best friend was alive.

* * *

"Woah, Doug, what happened to your face?"

Tom grinned at his friend as they walked into the Chapel.

Doug glared at Harry Ioki. "I fell."

"Into what? A fist?" Judy laughed, receiving a high five from Harry.

Tom shook his head at the three as Doug started bickering at their friends, and headed to his desk. He passed Fuller's office, and paused, looking down at the little girl sitting in the chair outside of Fuller's office. She looked up at him with shockingly blue eyes, and Tom raised a brow.

He knelt down in front of her, smiling kindly. "Hey there. What's your name?" She stared at him, scooting farther back in the chair. "I'm Tom." He held his hand out to her, but she just stared at it.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke. "Do you work here?"

Tom nodded, smiling. "I do. I work right over there." He pointed to his desk. "What are you doing here?"

She stayed silent for another minute, then spoke again. "I'm waiting for Mommy. She's talking in there." She pointed to the door into Fuller's office, which was closed.

Tom nodded. "How long has your mommy been in there?"

The little girl shrugged, swinging her legs lightly. "She told me never to talk to strangers."

"Well," Tom chuckled. "Your mommy is very smart. But this a police station, nobody in here is going to hurt you. We're here to protect you."

She nodded, looking over at his desk. "I'm Kelly." She held her hand out, and Tom took it, shaking it.

"It's very nice to meet you, Kelly."

"It's nice to meet you, Tom. Can I see your desk?"

Tom nodded, standing. "Sure, come on." She climbed out of the chair and followed him over to his desk. Tom sat in the chair, lifting Kelly up to sit on top of the desk. She immediately began playing with things all over the desk, and asking lots of questions.

"Whose that?" She pointed to a picture of the entire gang, and Tom smiled, picking it up and pointing at each person as he named them.

"That's Judy, Doug, Sal, Harry, Me, and Captain Fuller."

"I know him!" She pointed to Fuller, and Tom raised a brow.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Mommy brought me in to meet him a long time ago, when we first moved here." She looked around, eyes stopping on something. "Is that them?"

Tom turned, spotting Doug, Harry, and Judy. "It sure is. The same people that are in my picture. I work with them."

"So they're good guys too?"

Tom nodded, smiling. "Yep, everyone working in here is a good guy."

"Like my mommy!" Kelly's smile brightened, and Tom's brow furrowed.

"Your mommy?"

Kelly nodded, and at that moment, the door to Fuller's office opened, and Kelly smiled. "Mommy!"

Tom turned around, eyes widening slightly as Ariana walked out of the office.

* * *

Ariana heard Kelly's voice, and turned, seeing her sitting on Tom's desk. She walked over, smiling at her daughter. Tom stood from his seat, acting like a gentleman.

"Sweetie, what did mommy tell you about talking to strangers?"

"But Tom is a good guy, mommy. Like you."

Ariana looked at Tom, cheeks reddening slightly. "Come on, honey. It's time to go."

"Go get ice cream?"

Ariana glanced at Tom, nodding as she lifted Kelly off the desk. "Yeah, your favorite."

Kelly took her mother's hand, but stopped, looking back at Tom.

"Can Tom come, too, Mommy?"

Ariana turned around, looking at Tom. He shrugged, unaware of why Kelly was inviting him.

"Honey, Tom is busy, I'm sure he has a lot of work to do." Kelly's smile faded and she looked up at him.

Tom shook his head, shrugging. "I really don't, actually. I'm totally free today."

Ariana sighed, looking down at Kelly's puppy-dog eyes. She looked back at Tom, who was smiling slightly. She rolled her eyes.

"Sure, honey. If you want Tom to come, then he can."

Kelly squealed, looking up at Tom. "Come on!" She released Ariana's hand and skipped ahead, going straight for the door.

Ariana sighed, following after with Tom right beside her.

"She's cute," Tom stated, looking over at Ariana as they walked.

"Don't get used to this. She'll forget about you by tomorrow morning."

Tom grinned, walking out of the Chapel doors with Kelly and Ariana. "We can take my car, it's right over there."

Ariana stopped when she saw the light blue Mustang. Kelly ran over to the car, excited beyond all compare. Tom stopped, looking back at Ariana.

"Something wrong?"

"That's your car?" Ariana couldn't believe it, that was the car that she'd been dreaming of. But, she couldn't afford it.

Tom nodded, shrugging. "Is that bad?"

Kelly giggled, shaking her head. "It's mommy's dream car! Every time we came to work, she'd stop and stare at it."

Tom smirked, and Ariana walked over, standing beside Kelly.

"Don't let it get to your head, Hanson, it's just a car."

Kelly happily climbed into the backseat, buckling herself up.

Ariana sat in the passenger seat, feeling a slight bit jealous. Tom got in and started the car, still smirking as he pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

"Wipe that smirk off, Hanson. It doesn't help your already hopeless look."

"Don't be jealous, Ariana. Besides, you can have a ride any time you like, just call me."

Kelly giggled, and Ariana narrowed her eyes at Tom. "I prefer to walk, thanks."

Tom glanced back at Kelly, who was still giggling. He winked at her and she giggled some more.

"Kelly seems to like me." Tom tilted his head slightly, still smirking.

"Yeah, well Kelly's only six, and doesn't really know you." Ariana looked over at him, eyebrow cocked. "Does she?"

Tom kept the smirk on his face, but he went back to watching the road. Why was this girl so difficult? It wasn't like he was a bad guy. Did she really think that of him?

Ariana looked out the window next to her, feeling bad. Why did she have to be so cruel to him? Oh wait, she knows why. Because he's just like the others. He'll befriend Kelly, get to Ariana, and then disappear. That's why they've moved around so much, that's why Ariana doesn't trust guys, and that's why Kelly doesn't trust anyone but her mom and Mrs. Jennings.

Ariana glanced over at Tom, turning as she looked in the back seat at Kelly. The six year old brunette was having a grand time, running her hands along the leather seats, looking at different accessories on the interior of the car. She seemed… Content. Glancing at Tom again, Ariana couldn't help but wonder how he'd done it. How had this man, who hadn't even known Kelly for ten minutes, already make her smile like that? It was… Different.

* * *

**Well, there ya have it, folks. Review and I'll post Ch. 4 up soon! Thanks for reading!! ^.^**


	4. Suspect 1

I don't really know if anybody is going to read this, but if you are a previous fan of mine I am terribly sorry it took so long for me to update. Two years, I do believe. But I was reinspired earlier today and couldn't help but write. So, here is chapter four. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything 21 Jump Street- It's characters, places, objects, etc.

* * *

"Kelly, please, stay close."

"It's okay, mommy. I'm just gonna find a place to sit." Before Ariana could stop her daughter, the six year old was skipping off to one of the booths by a large window in the ice cream parlor.

Ariana sighed, turning to Tom when he chuckled. He shook his head, handing a ten dollar bill over the counter to young woman on the other side.

"What? It's cute."

Ariana rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You don't understand, she's not your daughter. Everything is different once you have kids."

Tom raised a brow, taking his change back from the employee and sticking it in his pocket before taking the first ice cream cone and handing it to Ariana.

"Speaking of Kelly's father, where is he?" He then took his cone and Kelly's, turning and starting towards the booth that Kelly had occupied by the window.

Ariana paused a moment before following. There was a sudden pain in her left side at the mention of Kelly's father, but she shook it off.

"That's really none of your business, Hanson." She slid into the booth next to Kelly, watching as the six-year-old took her orange sherbert ice-cream cone from Tom and began to lick it.

Tom slid into the seat across from the two, eyeing Ariana before taking a quick bite from his own mint-chocolate chip ice cream. Ariana glanced over at him before starting on her own cone.

Kelly, who was enjoying her ice cream, looked over at Tom, smiling. "Thank you for the ice cream, Tom."

"No problem, Kelly. I always treat my friends to the best ice cream in town." He smiled at the little girl, who took another bite of her ice cream before going off into a long list of questions, all of which Tom answered happily.

Ariana looked between the two, watching them interact. It was crazy, like something out of the Twilight Zone. She'd never seen her daughter interact like that with anyone before, let alone a man. Ariana had dated plenty of guys in the past six years, all of which left without a goodbye. So, she decided to just stop dating all together. She was tired of watching Kelly go through that heartache. It was bad enough that Ariana had trust issues, but Kelly had always gotten so attached, and as a mom, Ariana just couldn't stand to see her baby so upset.

"What do you think, mommy?"

Ariana shook her head, looking between the two. "What, honey? What do I think of what?"

"I said," Kelly started, rolling her bright green eyes. "We should come here more. Tom and me think it will be fun."

Ariana glanced at Tom, raising a brow. "Oh, really? Well, we'll see how it goes."

"What if I'm a good girl all the time? Can we come more if I'm good oftener?"

Ariana smiled, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "You're already a good girl, all the time. Like I said, we'll see. Now, finish your ice cream, we need to get home soon." Kelly went back to talking to Tom, who continued to glance at Ariana the entire time.

* * *

"Kelly, please, don't run ahead like that." No matter what Ariana said to the girl, she still ran right up to the puppy on the leash of another tenant at their apartment building, Mr. Palso.

"Ya know, she's never going to listen if you just keep telling her no."

Ariana turned to Tom, who was leaning up against his Mustang, still smirking.

"Ya know, I already told you that you won't understand unless you have kids. Which, if you keep going the way you are, you probably won't ever."

Tom shook his head, smirk fading. "Why do you act like that?"

Ariana scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Like what?"

"Like a bitch."

Well, she certainly hadn't expected that. "Because, it keeps guys like you away from me and my daughter."

"Really? How well does that actually work?"

Ariana's eyes narrowed, and she turned, heading towards her apartment building. "Thanks for the ride."

"You can't run away forever, ya know. Sooner or later, it's gonna catch up." Tom watched as Ariana took Kelly's hand and disappeared into the apartment building. He ran a hand through his hair, looking at the older man who was, at the moment, eyeballing him. Waving quickly, Tom turned, walking to the other side of his car before climbing in and driving off.

* * *

"Did you have fun today?"

Kelly nodded in response to Mrs. Jenkins' question, smiling. "Mommy's friend Tom is real nice. He let us ride in his mutang and even paid for the ice cream."

"Oh, really?"

Ariana rolled her eyes at Mrs. Jenkins' suspicious eyes. "It's Mustang, honey, and no, Ethel, he is not my friend. We work together."

"Oh, honey, please. I was young once, I know all about work friends." She winked at Ariana, earning herself a low growl.

"Things are a lot different now than they were when you were my age, Mrs. Jenkins."

"Mm-hm." The older woman rolled her own eyes before going back to playing with Kelly.

With a roll of her eyes, Ariana looked at her watch. "Okay, baby." She knelt down running her hand through Kelly's hair. "Mommy has to go out now, but she'll be back in a little bit."

"Is Tom gonna come back, too?"

Mrs. Jenkins raised a brow, smirking at the six-year-old's question.

"No," Ariana sighed. "He had to go back to his house for the night. Now, give us a kiss."

Kelly turned and kissed her mom's cheek before returning her attention to the dolls in front of her. "Love you."

"Love you, too." That said, Ariana grabbed her purse and left the apartment. Where was she going? To a date with her "boyfriend", Ty. Boyfriend is in quotes because, legally, she can't actually touch him. She's 22, and he's 16. It's illegal. But, for the sake of being undercover, she can act like his girlfriend, as long as she doesn't allow and inappropriate contact. And, seeing as he wasn't even her type, Ariana had no problem with avoiding any contact.

* * *

"Babe, my God, I was so worried about you." The sixteen-year-old pulled Ariana into a hug, rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry I didn't call you earlier, but Johnny, ya know. He was pretty torn up about this whole thing."

Gently pushing him back, Ariana nodded. "Yeah, I understand. Really, it's okay."

Ty nodded, his blonde hair gelled back neatly. "You sure? I feel terrible."

"Really," she folded her arms, attempting to keep warm in the cool autumn air. "I'm fine. Promise."

"Okay, well, you wanna talk or anything?" Ty wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box. He may be intelligent, but he lacked the street-smarts.

"Actually, I was a bit curious about something that happened yesterday after school…" Ariana wasn't quite sure if she really wanted to bring this up, but she had to.

Ty nodded, raising a brow as he folded his own arms. The pair was sitting on a bench in the local park, the buzz of the street-light behind them the only sound around them as the sun set in the sky.

"I was outside with Beth when Johnny pulled up in his truck…" She paused, glancing at him before looking down at her hands in her lap. "He seemed really ticked about something. And Beth… Well, she was really scared."

"So?" The teen furrowed his brow. "What are you getting at?"

"I just," she shrugged. "Was wondering if they got into a fight or something?" When Ariana looked up at Ty, his expression was one of anger and suspicion all rolled into one.

"You think they got into it and Johnny killed Beth or something?"

"What-no!" Shaking her head, Ariana straightened up in her seat, thinking fast. "It's just, I know how much they loved each other, and I would just feel horrible if they had a huge fight and then she died. I mean, imagine if you and I got into it and left mad at each other, then something happened to you." She shook her head again as tears welled in her eyes. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I lost you like that… I was just hoping that they had made up if there was a fight so that Johnny wouldn't have to live with that guilt…"

After a slight pause, Ty nodded, calm as he chucked her under the chin with a light smile. "Don't worry, babe. They made up. It was a stupid fight. Johnny heard some talk about one of those new guys hitting on Beth, and he got a bit jealous. But everything was okay in the end. I promise."

Well, her cover worked. Ariana nodded, smiling lightly as she wiped her eyes. "Good, at least I know that now." Of course, watching Ty's demeanor after that gave the woman some suspicious feelings. She couldn't help but feel that he was lying to her. Of course she had her fair share of liars, and could spot one easily. Ty was definitely hiding something, and now it was up to Ariana to figure out what that was.

* * *

Well, there it is. Lemme know what ya think! Thanks a bunch! And again, sorry it took forever to update.


	5. The Past Relieved

Two in one day? Yep, that's how much I really want to write. There'll be at least one more, so please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything 21 Jump Street that is used in my stories.

* * *

Ariana had thought that going back to school the following Monday would be fairly easy. Well, she was wrong. As she walked down the halls, everyone stared and whispered, as if she didn't hear them. Did they really not realize that it only made things harder for her? Well apparently not.

Her mind was elsewhere as it was, thanks to Johnny. Ever since the funeral on Saturday, Ariana couldn't help but suspect him of having something to do with Beth's death. Why? Well, not only was he currently in the school hitting on every single girl he could find, but at his girlfriend's own funeral he'd had a different girl on each arm. The teen hadn't even feigned sadness.

There was something really wrong, Ariana could feel it. Her thoughts were all jumbled, and she couldn't figure out how to go about finding things out without looking suspicious herself.

"Hey."

Ariana jumped, nearly dropping her books as she looked up at Tom.

"Woah, why so jumpy?"

"Jesus!" She growled, pushing past him and continuing down the hall to her left, the shorter of the McQuaid brothers following. "What the Hell do you think you're doing?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Trying to talk to you, obviously." Tom sped his walk, attempting to keep up with the woman.

"Well I don't want to talk to you, obviously," she mocked. "Don't you have some Freshman to be beating up right now?"

Tom grabbed her arm gently, pulling her to a stop. "Seriously, we need to talk."

Ariana glanced down the hall, ducking into the shadows as some students passed by in the main hall. "Right now? You're risking a lot doing this here."

"I know," Tom whispered, gesturing towards the other end of the hall by the door leading out the side of the building.

Ariana followed him down there, it was the darkest part of the hall, and if someone came one of them could easily slip out the door. "What?"

"Are you okay? You've been acting really… Sketchy the past couple of days."

"Sketchy? How?"

Scoffing, Tom crossed his arms. "Um, let's see… You didn't report back to Fuller after your 'date', you haven't returned any of the precincts phone calls, you haven't gone in and filled out any reports, and I haven't seen you at your apartment all weekend."

"Fuller will get his report tomorrow when I actually have something to report. As for Ty, how do you know- Wait…" Ariana furrowed her brow. "You were staking out my apartment? What in the Hell gives you the right-"

"Ariana?"

The girl looked at the entrance to the main hall, where Emma was standing. When she looked back to where Tom had just been, he was gone. She growled, heading towards her friend.

"Hey, Emma."

"What were you doing down there? And who was with you?"

Ariana let out a short laugh. "There wasn't anyone with me. I was thinking about skipping school, but you busted me."

"Oh…" Emma hesitated as the two walked down the hall towards their class, but she let it go. "Ty's been looking for you, says he hasn't talked to you in days. Lilly and I have been pretty worried, too."

"Why is everyone worrying about me? I'm old enough to take care of myself, thanks."

"Look, you've been M.I.A. from everything after the funeral on Saturday." Emma pulled her friend to a stop, glancing around as a few students rushed past into the class. "We're upset too, ya know. If you talk to us about it then maybe you'll feel better."

Ariana shook her head, continuing into the class. "Trust me, Emma, talking about it won't help. It's better just to leave me be."

* * *

Ariana walked outside at the end of the day, exhausted. Avoiding the oh-so-pushy Tom Hanson was extremely hard, especially when also trying to avoid Ty, Emma, and Lilly. It seemed that the only person Ariana actually wanted to talk to had been avoiding her.

"Ariana!"

With an irritated growl, the girl stopped, turning to look at Ty as he ran up to her.

"Are you avoiding me? I think I deserve at least a hello," he stated matter-of-factly as he stopped in front of her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I'm just tired. I had to work all weekend, so I didn't any time to really be alone."

"Well, get used to that, because we're going out tonight."

"Ty," Ariana sighed. "I really don't think that's a good idea. Why don't-"

"Nope, no getting out of it. Come on." Ty grabbed Ariana's arm, pulling her along with him as he headed towards his car.

* * *

Twenty minutes later they arrived at the garage where Ty and Johnny worked. It was closed that particular Monday, and Ariana couldn't help the strange sensation in her stomach as she climbed out of the car.

"Ty, what are we doing here?"

"Don't worry, babe," he replied as he headed for the employee entrance to the building. "This'll only take a minute. Just wait in the car." That said, he disappeared inside.

Of course being a cop, Ariana wasn't just going to sit in the car. But, if she didn't want to blow her cover, she had to. So, fighting her gut instinct, she stayed where she was, leaning up against the side of the car and folding her hands behind her back.

* * *

It took ten minutes for Ty to do whatever it was that was he was doing inside. The sun was setting, and the street lamps were starting to come on. Ariana watched curiously as Ty walked to the car, fixing something in the inside pocket of his Letterman's jacket.

"I said wait in the car, not outside of it."

Ariana rolled her eyes as the two of them climbed back into the car. "Yeah, well, I was getting antsy. You know I don't like being left outside like that."

Ty started the car, turning it around and heading back down the long drive to Fifth Street. "Next time I say wait in the car, you better do exactly that." His tone was more threatening than usual, and he seemed a bit… Off.

"Excuse me? Don't you dare talk to me like that. And what the Hell was so important that you had to stop by the shop?"

"It's really none of your business."

"Um, yeah, it is. You made it my business when you dragged me over here."

Ty hit the brakes, slamming his fist into his steering wheel and putting the car in Park. The force of the car suddenly stopping sent Ariana's body forward, seatbelt locking up. She gasped from the pain in her chest, but before she could do anything, Ty was grabbing her hair, pulling her towards him.

She grabbed his wrist, eyes wide with fear as she stared into his dark green eyes. She'd never seen him this mad before.

"Ty-Ow! You're hurting me!"

"Shut up!" He hit the dashboard with his free hand before grabbing her neck and forcing her closer. "Next time I say stay in the car, you're going to stay in the God damn car! If I wanted you to know what was going on in the shop, I would have taken your ass in there, so learn to mind your damn business, got it?"

Ariana didn't know what to do she'd never been in this situation with Ty. After five months of being with him, this was the first time he'd ever shown any type of aggression.

"Got it?" His voice boomed in the small space of the car, and Ariana jumped, nodding quickly.

"Y-yes!"

Ty nodded, eyes narrowed. "Good." He loosened his grip on her neck, running his hand up to her right cheek and caressing it not-so-gently.

There was a very uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, and before Ariana could react the teen pulled her into a forceful kiss. Ariana closed her eyes tightly, tears forming behind her lids. When Ty released her, he shoved her back, turning and putting his car back into Drive.

The rest of that night went by extremely slow. It seemed like forever before Ariana was finally dropped off at the school. She claimed to have left some books there so that Ty wouldn't question her as to why she wanted dropped there.

As soon as the car disappeared around the corner and Ariana was left standing alone on the dark street, she burst into tears. Yeah, she was 22-years-old, and perfectly capable of kicking his ass. But for her cover's sake, she had to act like a real teenager. And, let's face it, a real teen in her situation wouldn't beat the guy's ass, she would be scared to death and not do anything.

Of course Ariana wasn't just pretending to be afraid. The way that Ty had acted earlier had really scared it. It had brought back a flood of unhappy memories, and for a moment there she'd looked at Ty and saw… Him.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! Please read and review!


	6. Fight at the Swingsets

Yep, a third in one day! HOLY COW! I hope ya'll enjoy! Please let me know!

**Disclaimer:** Is this necessary? We already know that I do not own any of the 21 Jump Street characters, places, etc.

* * *

Ariana had gone into the Chapel early Tuesday morning and filed her reports, telling Fuller everything that he needed to know. However she kept Ty's little outburst a secret for now. No need to go getting herself pulled off the case. She went to school and acted completely normal or as normal as she thought. She avoided everyone she could, however Ty was not one of those people. She went about the day with him attached to her, his arm draped over her shoulder, forcing a kiss out of her whenever he liked.

Did she try and act as though she enjoyed the kisses, yeah. But when a guy who scares the crap out of you kisses you, it's kind of hard to just pretend you like it. And of course the McQuaid brothers would be the first to notice. Ariana found herself cornered in the middle of lunch on her way back to the cafeteria. She and the other two cops were the only ones in the hall, and there was no escaping for the girl.

"Look, I don't like you much as a human being," Doug started, pointing a finger in Ariana's face. "But as a fellow cop I can't just stand by and watch you torture yourself. You're hiding something, what is it?"

"Ha," Ariana scoffed, narrowing her eyes as she kept her voice low. "Like I would tell you anything. We're on school property right now, so as far as I'm concerned, you're just a low-life thug who doesn't mean jack-shit."

"Ariana." Tom took a step closer to the girl, who consequentially inched back into the wall, avoiding eye contact with him. "You haven't made any contact with Doug or myself since Saturday, and those reports you filed yesterday were really spotty."

Ariana glanced up at Tom, clutching her books to her chest. She knew where this was going.

Tom's voice lowered as he stepped closer to her, all the while Doug looking up and down the hall in case anyone came by.

"You need to let us help you with whatever this is. Something happened, it's obvious. You have to tell us."

Those words had been spoken to her before, and they hadn't gotten her anything but more trouble. But when Ariana looked up at Tom to tell him off, she stopped. There was so much kindness in his eyes, so much care. She opened her mouth to tell him, but a deep, angry voice stopped her.

"Hey!"

Ariana jumped, and the three of them looked down the hall to see Ty, Johnny, and their friend Blaine all standing by the entrance to the cafeteria. Doug and Tom glanced at each other, putting on their McQuaid faces and readying themselves. Doug crossed his arms, raising a brow as Tom looked back at Ariana.

"You'll have to tell me sooner or later." He straightened up, turning and face the three teen boys as they walked up, stopping a few feet from him. "Well, well, Doug, looks like the preps done lost their minds."

"Yeah, comin' up to us like they're all big and bad."

Ariana glanced over at Tom and Doug before her gaze fell to her feet. This was not going to be pretty.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing with my girlfriend?" Ty's voice was that dark, threatening one that Ariana had heard for the first time the previous day. "Ariana, get over here."

When she moved towards Ty, Tom grabbed her elbow, holding her back. "I think she can talk to whoever she wants, don't you Doug?"

"Yeah," Doug took a step forward, eyes locking on Johnny, who was a good 4 or 5 inches shorter than he was.

Ty's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. "I didn't ask what you thought. I was talking to my girlfriend." his gaze fell on the girl, who glanced up at him, then Tom.

"Ariana," Johnny stated as he kept eye contact with Doug. "You heard Ty, get over here." His tone was just as threatening as Ty's, and Ariana tugged at her arm.

"Who said I wanted to talk to you, asshole." She had to put on her game face, too. After all, she was undercover. She pulled her arm from Tom's grasp, stepping over to Ty and allowing him to wrap his arm around her waist.

"See?" Ty smirked triumphantly, Blaine and Johnny chuckling. "You have no chance in Hell. So stay away from my girlfriend. Or next time I'll kick your ass."

Ariana looked up at Tom, and she could see the anger in his eyes. He was chewing a piece of gum, agitation clear as he smacked his lips.

"How 'bout I kick your ass right now, pretty boy? Then we'll see what your girlfriend thinks?"

Ariana grabbed hold of Ty's arm as she felt him tense, and she narrowed her eyes at Tom. "I'd still think you're a dirt-bag. I'll say this once, leave me alone." That said, she turned, dragging a smirking Ty and his two friends back to the cafeteria.

* * *

"What was that all about?"

Ariana shrugged as she picked apart the piece of toast on her lunch tray. "Just dirt-bags, ya know. I guess the McQuaid brothers are trying to make a name for themselves or something here, and the best way to do that is to challenge the star quarterback and his friends."

"Ya know," Ty started, grabbing the back of Ariana's head and turning her quickly to face him. "For a minute back there, I actually thought you were talking to them on your own. You look pretty cozy with that Tom guy all up in your space."

Blaine and Johnny sat across the table from the two, looking around as if nothing was going on.

Ariana cringed slightly as her fist clenched, the toast now smashed in her hand. "Ty, baby, you know I wouldn't dare cheat on you, especially with scum like the McQuaids." She forced a smile as a teacher looked at the two from across the cafeteria. "Now, you're going to draw attention if you don't loosen up." A few seconds passed and Ariana glanced back at the teacher, who was starting to move across the room towards their table.

Ty eyed the girl for a couple of seconds before releasing her, caressing her cheek sweetly and smiling. "What did I tell ya, boys?" The other two turned and looked at Ty, nodding. "Ariana knows better." He winked and turned to his food.

Ariana glanced up as the teacher stopped a couple tables down from them, keeping an eye on them for the remainder of the lunch period.

* * *

After the final bell rang, Ariana walked out of the school and headed straight for town. She wanted to get home, away from all this madness. It took her a good forty minutes, seeing as she lived on the other side of town, but she finally made it. The 22-year-old turned down her street, pausing as she saw the light blue Mustang parked outside her building. Her eyes narrowed as she neared the gated entrance, and then she saw it.

Kelly was playing on the swing set in the courtyard, Tom pushing her gently as she swung higher and higher. Ariana stopped in her tracks, watching the two. Kelly was laughing, her high voice echoing off the building walls as she shouted 'higher!'

Tom obliged, but he made sure not to swing her too high. He was laughing as well. She wasn't sure how long she stood there staring, tears welling in her eyes, but as soon as Tom looked up and spotted her, Ariana cleared her throat, hurrying over and placing her hands on her hips.

"Kelly, get off the swing, now."

"But, mom-"

"Don't argue, do what I say."

Tom's smile faded, and he held onto the swing, slowing it down until it came to a complete stop. The six-year old hopped off, turning to Tom.

"Thanks a bunch, Tom. That was fun!"

"Anytime, Munckin." He rubbed her head, messing up her hair a little.

Kelly giggled, swatting at his hand. "You should come back every day after preschool and we can swing!"

"I'd like that a lot."

"No," Ariana shook her head, grabbing Kelly's hand. "I wouldn't. Come on, we're going inside."

Kelly frowned, tugging on her mother's hand. "But, mommy…"

"Kelly, for God's sake, don't argue with me-"

"Ariana-"

"No!" Ariana turned to Tom, not quite sure if she was angry, or scared, or what. "She's my daughter and she'll do as I say! You have no right to show up here and just pretend to be all buddy-buddy with her."

Tom was taken aback, and his eyes narrowed. "Hey, I wasn't acting anything. I came by to try and talk to you, and she just so happened to get home at the same time."

Mrs. Jenkins, who had been sitting on the bench by the swings the whole time, stood and hurried over, taking Kelly's free hand.

"Come on, sweetie, let's go inside so mommy can talk."

Kelly, who was about to start crying, shook her head. "Mommy, please don't be mad at Tom… I asked him to play. I didn't know you would get mad…"

Ariana shook her head as she turned to walk inside.

"No," Mrs. Jenkins held a hand up to stop Ariana. "You two say whatever it is that needs to be said. I won't have you anywhere near Kelly while acting like this." And with that the older woman led the six-year-old inside.

As soon as they were gone, Ariana turned on Tom. "How dare you? You come to my building, and play with my daughter in my courtyard?"

"Oh, give it up, the courtyard isn't yours, it's the building's."

"Yeah, a building at which you are not a resident!"

"Look," Tom's voice was starting to lower, but he seemed to be keeping his cool as best as possible. "I don't know what I did that pissed you off so much, but I'm sorry. I came here to talk about the case, and Kelly asked me to push her on the swings. Why is that such a bad thing?"

"Because I don't want to see her get hurt again!" Ariana's eyes widened slightly as she realized that she'd said that outright. She shook her head, setting her jaw. "You need to leave. I don't want anything to do with you outside of work."

She didn't exactly know why she was being such a bitch, but she just couldn't handle this at the moment. She needed to focus on the important things, which did not include being chased after by a coworker, no matter how she felt about him.

* * *

There's the end of Chapter Six! READ AND REVIEW! Thankies!


	7. This is a Bad Idea

Alright, here is Ch. 7, four in one night! Feel loved, and lucky that I really needed to write. Please read and REVIEW! Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything 21 Jump Street- be it characters, places, events, etc.

* * *

Ariana looked down at her feet as a silence fell between her and Tom. She was waiting for him to say something, anything, but instead, after a moment of just fuming, he turned and walked back to his car. Ariana cringed when he slammed the car door, and the sound of his tires peeling out echoed down the street.

* * *

The following day, Wednesday, Ariana walked the halls like a zombie. Tom and Doug avoided her, or at least she didn't see them all day. Whether or not they spent the day purposefully not running into her was beyond her, but she did know that she missed their presence. As bad as it was, she felt safer when she knew they were around.

But after school, she was taken by surprise when a black and white picked her up ten minutes from her apartment building. She was taken to the Chapel in the back seat, and escorted inside, where she was met by Doug, Tom, Harry, and Judy, all of whom were waiting inside Fuller's office.

"Please don't tell me this is some kind of intervention," she mumbled under her breath as Harry closed the door, standing in front of it. Judy, sitting on Fuller's desk, looked at Ariana sympathetically.

"This isn't funny, Ariana."

"Yeah, you're telling me." With a sigh, she crossed her arms, looking around at the other four. "So who wants to tell me what this is about?" Her gaze fell on Tom. "You like to start shit, how 'bout you?" When he was silent, she raised a brow, turning her attention to Doug. "You? No?" She threw her hands up, "Then who?"

"How about me?"

Harry stepped away from the door as it opened, Fuller walking into the office. Ariana glanced at Tom, crossing her arms again.

"Captain."

Fuller walked behind his desk, raising a brow. "Apparently your team thinks you aren't quite up to the task of this case. They think you're emotionally compromised."

"Oh, that is bull!" Of course, they didn't really know everything about her. They didn't know her past. "I'm fine, Captain."

"Yeah, so fine that every time Hanson and I try to talk to her, she goes all Rambo on us."

Ariana threw a glare at Doug before taking a step forward. "You want me to be in Ty's little group of friends, fine, but you have got to tell Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumb to back off! Ty's getting really suspicious as to why the McQuaids have taken such an interest in me, and it's affecting my cover."

"We aren't the ones hiding information and filing false reports."

The room went silent and Ariana slowly turned to look at Tom. "I… Never filed any false reports."

"Tom, that's quite an accusation to just throw out there…" Judy bit her lip, shaking her head slightly.

"Yeah, Hanson." Ariana's eyes narrowed and Tom stepped forward.

"Maybe not, but you can't deny hiding information, can you? Because that would lying, and you're a cop, you don't lie. Right?" Tom and Ariana had a brief staring contest before Fuller broke it off.

"Alright, everyone out, Hanson, Langscar, you two stay." The room cleared out, Judy giving Ariana a gentle pat on the shoulder before closing the door behind her. Fuller leaned on his desk, shaking his head. "What the Hell is going on?"

"Hanson won't keep his nose out of my business. It's kinda hard to do my job when he's constantly trying to blow my cover."

"Yeah well maybe if you did your part as a teammate and shared information with us, we could help you."

"Maybe if you stopped-"

"Enough! Christ!" The captain paced slowly, looking between the two. "Ariana, I need to know everything that you haven't already told me. If you walk out of this office hiding anything, you're done, off the case and suspended."

Ariana bit the inside of her cheeks, throwing a glare at a rather triumphant-looking Tom. She growled, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Fuller's desk.

"It's nothing really… I went out with Ty Monday after school, he took me by the shop he and Johnny work at." She folded her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs. Fuller nodded and took his own seat, while Tom stood at the back of the office, one foot propped up against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him.

"Go on," the captain stated.

"I don't know why we went there, and Ty wouldn't tell me. He just told me to stay in the car. He was inside for maybe ten minutes, tops. When he came out, we got back into the car and headed back for Fifth Street." She paused, not really wanting to think about the next part.

"And?" Tom's voice broke Ariana's thoughts, and after glancing up at Captain Fuller, she looked down at her hands.

"I pissed Ty off, and he stopped the car abruptly. Next thing I knew he'd grabbed my hair and my neck, and…" She paused, sighing heavily. "He just told me to mind my own business."

Fuller raised a brow, worry on his features. "Did he do anything else?"

Ariana shook her head, eyes locked on her hands. "He just kissed me, that's all."

Tom scoffed, moving across the room and over to Fuller's desk. "And you didn't think this was important information to share with us?"

"It doesn't matter," Ariana stated, shrugging. "He's a teenager, he's going to get mad about stupid things."

"Get mad? He put his hands on you!" Tom's voice was a bit louder than expected, and Fuller looked up at him.

"Hanson, sit down." Tom did as was told, and Fuller turned his attention to Ariana, tone more calm now. "I'm taking you off the case."

"What?" Ariana looked up at him finally, shaking her head. "No!"

"Ariana, don't argue. You're too deep in. I can't allow anything to happen to you."

"Captain, please, I am this close!" She pinched her fingers together, desperation in her voice. "I swear, I'm fine. You can't take this away from me."

"You're emotionally compr-"

"Don't tell me that!" Ariana stood quickly, tears in her eyes. She cleared her throat, trying to calm herself down. Her voice was shaky, and she leaned on the desk, looking the captain in the eyes. "Please, you have to let me see this through. You know why…"

Tom looked between the two, utterly confused, and shocked by Ariana's outburst.

Fuller looked up at the woman, pausing. "If something were to happen to you-"

"Nothing will! I swear, I can handle myself. And Tom and Doug are right there with me, backing me up." Ariana was about to drop to her knees and beg. "Please trust me…"

Tom raised a brow as Fuller glanced over at him.

"Hanson… You're to keep a close eye on Langscar. If that boy lays one hand on her in front of you, take him down. You hear me?"

Ariana sighed, dropping her head.

"Yes sir, Captain." Tom stood as Fuller did.

"I don't want to do this again, Ariana. No more hiding anything."

Ariana nodded, straightening and wiping her eyes. "Yes sir." She turned, walking from the office and making her way out of the Chapel.

* * *

She paced slowly throughout the parking lot, just inhaling the crisp autumn air. She heard the un-oiled metal door open, and looked up to see Tom Hanson coming down the stairs. She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"You're an asshole."

Tom stopped, nodding. "Let me give you a ride home."

"No," Ariana scoffed. "I'll walk."

"Get in the car, please."

As much as she wanted to, Ariana couldn't say no to that face. Plus it was getting dark and she really needed to get home fast. So, she climbed into the Mustang, silent as Tom started it and pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

Not even two minutes passed before Tom spoke. "Why did Fuller want to pull you off the case? Obviously there's something that happened before that you don't want anyone to know about."

"So why are you asking?" Her voice was sharp, harsh. Ariana looked over at Tom with anger in her eyes, not sure why he was always getting up in her business.

Tom paused a moment, pulling to a red light before looking over at her. "Because I care. You think I couldn't tell that Ty frightened you yesterday at lunch? All Doug and I could talk about the rest of the day was what the Hell could have happened that had you so scared." Ariana blinked, looking away from Tom and out the window next to her.

"We're all partners now, a team. You have to tell us these things, and trust that we'll watch your back." Tom's voice was harsh, yet gentle. How that worked, don't ask me. It just did. "In the end, we will, I promise."

A moment of silence passed as the Mustang started again, the light having turned green. Ariana blinked away the tears in her eyes, hating this.

"I was sixteen when I had Kelly, which you probably already knew if you're any good at basic math." She continued staring out the window at the passing buildings. "Her dad was my first boyfriend, eighteen. At first he was all perfect and sweet. I thought I was gonna marry him."

Tom glanced over at Ariana every so often, listening intently.

"Everyone told me that he was bad news, but, I didn't listen. I was _in love_, ya know?" She let out a chuckle, looking over at Tom for a second before focusing her gaze on the front window. "He was a lot like you…" She paused, glancing at the driver again. "Well, like the McQuaids, I mean. So you can see why I didn't really get along with you and Doug at first."

"What's your excuse now?" Tom smiled lightly at the humor in his voice, throwing a glance at Ariana.

She cracked a smile as well before continuing. "We were together for about a year when I turned sixteen, and he decided that it was time we go all the way. I didn't want to at first, so I made him wait longer, but after another two weeks, he started to get more and more violent." Her voice turned dark as the neared her street.

"It started with just yelling, all the time yelling about everything. We got into really stupid fights, and I started to think he was going to leave me. One day, he said that he would…"

"If you didn't do what he wanted?"

Ariana nodded as Tom finished her thought for her. "Yeah. So, I did. It wasn't rape, I agreed to it. It didn't really go wrong until another month went by." She took a moment before continuing. The car pulled up in front of her apartment building, and Tom put it in park, killing the engine and taking his seat belt off so he could turn and look at her.

* * *

"So, what happened?"

"Well…" Ariana unbuckled, shifting in her seat. "I did everything he wanted for a month, and any time I questioned him he would… Pull my hair, or shove me into things, or, on occasion, he'd hit me." She shrugged, eyes trained on her hands again. "When I found out I was pregnant, I told him, thinking he would stop, ya know? Maybe we could be a family or something." Another pause, tempting Tom to speak.

"But he didn't, did he?"

She shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks one by one. "He got worse, ya know? He actually, um, he actually pushed me down the stairs at his apartment building." She swallowed the lump in her throat, side twinging with pain. She subconsciously rubbed it, biting her lower lip.

"When I got out of the hospital two days later, I went back to the apartment. My parents had kicked me out the minute they heard I was pregnant, and I didn't have any other relatives. So, the only place I could go was back to him."

"There are shelters, Ariana. And, why did the hospital even release you? They…" Realization dawned on him, and she nodded.

"I told them I slipped, it was icy and snowing outside, so it was believable. Anyway," she wiped away at the tears on her cheeks, focus blurred as she stared towards the dashboard, not really looking at it. "First thing he asked was if the baby was okay. Of course that made me think that he was sorry and he really wanted it, but when I said yes, he-he picked up the knife front the kitchen counter a-and…" Ariana's voice went out as she broke down, burying her face in her hands.

Tom watched, feeling completely helpless. He scooted over to her, wrapping his arms around her and attempting to comfort her. Ariana felt his touch, and leaned into him, grabbing his shirt and crying into his shoulder. No less than five minutes went by before the girl finally started to calm down, her body no longer trembling. She didn't move, face still buried with her grip on his shirt tighter than ever. She felt safe, and didn't want to leave.

"Ariana…" Tom's voice was quiet, gentle, as he stroked her back. "He's in jail now, right? Pre-meditated attempted murder of a person will get you at least fifteen years, no less than thirty if it's a pregnant woman."

She nodded, voice muffled as she tried to speak. "I ill av high mares."

Tom smiled lightly, pulling back ever so slightly. "I don't speak muffle."

Ariana freed on of her hands, wiping her cheeks. "I still have nightmares… What it would have been like had he succeeded, ya know? I love Kelly more than anything, and that's why I get so angry when she doesn't listen, or when men I'm interested in just walk right up and start being all nice to her. I've seen her hurt too many times by my boyfriends, and I'm just really protective of her now."

Tom chuckled quietly, brushing some stray hair from her face, wrapping it behind her ear.

"What?" Ariana questioned, head down so he didn't see her tear-stained, puffy-eyed face.

"You just said you're interested in me." He tilted her chin up, gently forcing her to look at him.

"I… I did not."

"Did too," he smiled. "You may not have caught it, but I did."

Ariana stared up into his brown eyes, at a loss for words. The seconds ticked by as the two stared at each other, and Ariana could feel the cold air creeping into the vehicle from outside.

"Tom…" She whispered quietly, blinking repeatedly. "You're… You're still holding onto me…"

"I know." Tom's voice was just as quiet, and the two sat there a moment longer, lips inches apart.

"Tom…"

"What?"

Her voice shook slightly as Ariana tried to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. That's what it felt like doing at the moment. She grabbed his wrist with her free hand, her other still gripping his shirt. "This is a bad idea."

Tom blinked, raising a brow. "You really think so?"

She nodded her head slowly, not moving other than that. "A very bad idea…"

"Then," Tom inched closer, tilting her head back slightly so he had better access to her lips. Ariana could feel his warm breath on her skin as her eyes fluttered closed. "Tell me to stop."

Her head was telling her push him away, get out of the car, and leave it at that, but Ariana's body wouldn't budge. In fact, everything but her head was telling her to go with it. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and she was sure that had she been standing, her knees would have given out by now.

"No…" Her grip on his wrist tightened, and she waited anxiously. She didn't want him to stop, and therefore wasn't going to tell him to. She wanted to kiss him.

Tom waited patiently for her to respond, and when she did, he knew it was okay. He felt her grip tighten, and he couldn't help but smile lightly. His lips were already so close to hers that it was driving him mad, and he could tell that it was doing the same to her. So, he decided to end both of their torture.

* * *

That's the end. Yep, I know it's a bit of a cliffhanger, but I ahve a final in six hours, so I need some sleep! Please read and, most importantly REVIEW! I'll try to update later!


	8. Tom Hanson is a Bad Idea

Chapter 8 is here! Please READ AND REVIEW!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything 21 Jump Street, Characters plot etc.

* * *

He pressed his lips to Ariana's gently, inhaling deeply as a splash of color exploded behind his eyelids. Tom knew to be gentle, he didn't want to go and scare her off now.

With a quick breath, Ariana felt the sensations of Tom Hanson's soft lips on her own. A shiver ran through her entire body, and she pulled back ever so slightly, still not breaking the kiss. Their lips moved together, and Ariana's hand moved to Tom's neck, pulling him closer.

The kiss was everything that both of them had been expecting, and then some. It was gentle and passionate, a kiss that Ariana had never had before. She was taken aback when Tom suddenly pulled away, and she opened her eyes to look at him, brow furrowed.

"Mommy!"

Tom cleared his throat as he resituated himself in his seat, hand running through his hair.

Ariana turned, spotting Mrs. Jenkins and Kelly as they walked out of the building. "Oh…" She glanced at Tom, face flushed, before grabbing her purse and climbing out of the car. She ran her hand through her own hair, smiling as she knelt down to greet her daughter. "Hi baby, did you have a good day?"

"Mm-hm!" Kelly nodded, throwing her arms around her mom. "At school today, Timmy brought in his pet toad, it was gross!"

Ariana laughed lightly, rubbing the six-year-old's arm. "I hope you washed your hands because I don't want any of that on me. Icky!"

"Is Tom coming over for dinner?"

Ariana stood up, noticing Kelly was currently staring at Tom's car, where the man was leaning against the side of it, smiling. "No, honey, Tom has to go to his house for dinner." She already felt awkward, and looked down at her daughter to keep from making eye contact with him.

"Uh, yeah." Tom nodded as Kelly ran over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she hugged him.

"Don't forget, you promised to take us to ice cream this week."

Chuckling, he hugged her back. "I didn't forget, we'll go as soon as your mom says it's okay. Mrs. Jenkins can come, too."

Ariana looked over at the older woman, who had an all-knowing grin on her face. "Mrs. Jenkins doesn't eat ice cream, Mr. Hanson. It's bad for the teeth." She smiled never-the-less, holding her hand out for Kelly to take. "Come on, Kells, let's go start dinner and give mommy a minute to say goodbye."

The other two disappeared, and Ariana turned to face the other cop. "I gotta go, so…"

Tom nodded, starting to say something when Ariana cut him off.

"Just… Um… See ya tomorrow." She gave a single nod before turning and walking quickly inside. She didn't exactly know how this whole working together thing was going to work now, but she hoped Tom didn't say anything to anyone.

* * *

Of course, the following morning when she arrived at the Chapel, Judy ran right over to her and tugged her into the women's restroom.

"Hoffs, what-"

"What happened with you and Tom?"

Blue eyes widened and Ariana tensed up. "Wh-what?"

"Yesterday in Fuller's office," Judy shook her head, brow furrowed. "You two were at each other's throats. Then you went storming out, and not even two minutes later he left." The woman paused, eyeing Ariana. "I was worried when you left, thought maybe the Captain pulled you off the case."

A wave of relief washed over Ariana and she shook her head, playing it cool. "No, I just, um, I was pissed, is all. Captain tried, but I convinced him to let me stay on. I was too far undercover to just up and disappear, people would ask a bunch of questions, and Ty and his friends would assume it was Tom and Doug..." She shook her head and shrugged. "I just got a warning is all."

"Uh… Huh…" Judy's eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she placed her hands on her hips.

"What?"

"You sure that's it?"

"Um, yeah." Ariana furrowed her brow. "What else would there be?"

Clicking her tongue a few times, Judy shrugged. "Dunno, you're just acting a bit off, is all."

"Well, I am going to be late to school if you don't let me out of here, so..."

Judy nodded, stepping to the side so Ariana could leave. She watched the other girl walk out of the bathroom, and followed suit, heading straight to Doug's desk. As soon as Ariana was out of the building, she looked down at him.

"Penhall, what's going on with your partner?"

Doug shrugged, looking up at her. "Nothing."

"Are you sure?" Judy turned and looked at him as he stood up, dressed as the McQuaid brother.

"Yeah. Trust me, Jude, if there was something going on, I would know. Hanson tells me everything."

* * *

The rest of the week went by quickly. Ariana was too busy trying to convince Ty that nothing was going on to really pay any attention to the McQuaid brothers. Saturday rolled around, and Ariana returned home from work to find Tom playing with Kelly on the swings again, Mrs. Jenkins knitting on the bench in the courtyard.

She walked over, placing her hands on her hips and shifting all her weight to her right leg.

"Um, hi."

Kelly's smile broadened, and she skidded to a stop on the swing, jumping off and running over to her mother.

"Mom! Tom took us out to ice cream! Mrs. Jenkins even went! We were gonna wait for you, but you were at work."

"Oh," she looked over at the other cop. "That so?"

He nodded, shrugging. "I really need to talk to you."

Mrs. Jenkins stood, "That's my cue." She grabbed Kelly's hand and led the little one inside as she waved to Tom.

He waved back, smiling. Once the door was closed, he looked back at Ariana. "I'm sorry, but I promised her-"

"I don't care." She crossed her arms, waiting for him to continue.

"O… Kay… Well, I think we should talk about-"

"There's nothing to talk about. Unless this pertains to the case, you're wasting both of our time."

Tom scoffed. "Nothing to talk about? If everything is all fine and dandy then why have you been avoiding me for three days?"

"Look, Hanson, I told you it was a bad idea. Dating people we work with, especially in our line of business, is just… Impossible. Say you see me walking down the hall with Ty, you're going to get really jealous and probably start shit. Or, I see you hitting on Emma, you think I won't be a bitch to her about it?"

Tom was silent for a moment, and Ariana nodded.

"See? You can't say I'm wrong because you know I'm right. So we forget it, and go on just being partners." She turned heading for the building and up to her apartment. This is why coworkers should not date coworkers.

* * *

The following Monday at school, Ariana was standing with Ty and their group of friends, swapping stories about their weekends.

"It was totally amazing!" Lilly giggled, Johnny's arm draped over her shoulders. "I mean, who'd have thought that a movie about a blob would be so scary!"

Everyone laughed, and Emma looked over at Ariana, a tiny smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "What did you do this weekend, Ari?"

The attention was put on Ariana, and she shrugged, smiling. "Just stayed home and helped my mom around the house."

"Really?" The tone in Emma's voice made Ariana suspicious immediately, but she shrugged it off.

"No, I went to Paris on my private jet. Sorry, I was trying to keep a secret so you guys wouldn't use me for my money."

The group laughed and Ariana eyed Emma as soon as she turned her attention elsewhere, questioning Blaine. The doors to the school burst open and Tom and Doug walked in, doing their little scream and bumping chests.

As students fled to get out of their way, Ty, Blaine, and Johnny all stood up straight, staring the two down. Ariana narrowed her eyes at them as they walked by, making rather rude hang gestures to the group.

The McQuaid brothers were gone, and the first bell rang. The halls started to clear out and Ariana made to leave, but Ty held her back.

"One sec, we'll catch up later, guys."

The others nodded, and Ariana suddenly felt really alone. Ty stepped in front of her, backing her up against the lockers and placing one hand on either side of her head.

"Look," he started, glancing around the halls as the last of the stragglers hurried to class. "I know I've been acting… A little weird lately."

Ariana said nothing, she simply swallowed the lump in her throat and listened, books clutched to her chest.

"But I want you to know that I'm sorry, I swear I'd never do anything to hurt you, and I was just having some issues at work. Johnny and I got into a little spat last week, that's why I freaked out in the car when we were leaving." He paused, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face as he inched closer. "You know I'd never hurt you, babe, right?"

She nodded, glancing at his hand. "Of course."

"Then why do you look so scared?"

"You… You really scared me last week, that's why. I've never seen you like that, it wasn't like you at all."

Ty nodded, inching his lips closer to hers. "Well that's over, I swear. I'll never do anything like that again."

Ariana nodded, cringing ever so slightly when the teen pressed his lips to hers. It was supposed to be a gentle kiss, she could tell, but it just didn't feel right. The only thing she could think of was Tom's kiss the day earlier. That's why it was a bad idea.

The sound of a book being slammed into a locker sounded a few feet away from them, and the two jumped, turning quickly to see Tom smirking, chewing that gum of his.

"Aren't you two late for class?"

"Why you…" Ty moved to lunge at Tom, but Ariana grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Ty no, he isn't worth it." She pushed Ty the other direction, giving him a reassuring nod as he disappeared into his classroom. Ariana turned, glaring at the undercover cop as she brushed past him and headed towards the stairs. "And you didn't believe me."

Tom glanced back at Ty's classroom before following Ariana. "Oh no, I believed you, especially now that I'm actually here and have to see you two together. I just didn't like the way he had you cornered. Thought you might want an escape.

"I wasn't cornered. You know that, I could have gotten out of there easily."

"Really? Because you looked pretty terrified to me."

She reached the stairs, pausing and turning to look at Tom. "You don't know shit about terrified."

"Oh," Tom shook his head. "I think I do. Especially now that I know what I do. That's why I did what I just did."

Ariana turned to move up the stairs, but Tom grabbed her arm, gently tugging her down the empty hallway to the left. He pulled her around the corner at the end of the hall, into a dark little crevice.

"Tom-"

"You were right, okay? I admit it. But it happened." Tom released her arm, inching back so he wasn't cornering her.

"I know it happened, I was there, remember?" Her voice was low, quiet. "This is exactly why I said bad idea. I knew we were going to get involved and then everything would be at risk."

"Wait," Tom raised a brow. "You knew we were going to get involved?"

"God damnit, yes, Tom, I knew. I had this inkling the minute you hugged me in the car that this was going to happen, and it's putting everyone at risk, not just us." She raised a brow when a smile appeared on his lips. "What?"

"Just glad you're admitting it."

"Admitting what?"

"That you like me."

Ariana growled. "What are we, in high school?"

"Um, yep, sounds about right." Tom earned himself another growl and he watched as she turned back around the corner, heading towards the main hall.

"You're friggin' unbelievable. I'd punch you in the face but then you and Doug would both be covering black-eyes. Bring about too many questions."

Tom caught up to her, spinning her around and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Come on, nobody has to know. Our little secret."

"No." She pushed on his chest, shaking her head as a smile played at her lips. "Tom, stop. If someone walks by and sees-"

"Everyone is in class, and the nearest bathroom is at the other end of the hall. Nobody will be out right now."

"Everyone else is in class, where we should be." She shook her head again. "Seriously, you need to stop."

"If you're so serious, why're you smiling?"

Ariana stopped, narrowing her eyes as she bit the inside of her cheeks, failing an attempt to hide her smile. "I'm late for class."

With a shrug, Tom smirked. "So there's no need to rush."

She stared up at him for a moment, smiling. "_You're_ a bad idea."

"Yeah," Tom shrugged, leaning down towards her. "But you like me anyways. What's wrong with you?" He winked, earning a playful smack.

With a sigh, Ariana lifted onto her tip-toes, placing a quick peck on Tom's lips. She then attempted to leave, but he pulled her back and kissed her again, more passionately this time. It was only a few seconds, but Ariana's head started to spin. She pushed him away, backing towards the main hall and smiling.

"Never. Again."

"Yeah," Tom scoffed. "Today, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and leaned up against the wall as Ariana disappeared up the stairs, still shaking her head. He ran his hands through his hair before walking back into the main hall and heading towards his own class.

Ariana had just reached the top landing on the third floor when she heard someone in front of her. She stopped suddenly, losing her footing and starting to fall backwards. Luckily her reflexes were good and she caught the railing, pulling herself back up and looking at the person quickly.

"Emma?"

"Hey?" The red-head raised a brow Ariana, stopping and eyeing her. "Why aren't you in class?"

"I had some issues with my locker, and that Tom guy pissed of Ty so I had to stop them from fighting." She suddenly realized that Emma wasn't in class either.

"Wait, why aren't you in class?"

The other girl shrugged, starting down the stairs. "Heading to the nurse. Not feeling too good, ya know?"

Ariana nodded as she watched Emma walk down the stairs.

"See ya later, Ari."

"Yeah… You too Emma." She didn't understand what was going on. Emma was acting a bit strange, which didn't help the whole Ty dilemma or Johnny dilemma. What the French was happing at that school?

* * *

There it is, READ AND REVIEW! kk, thankies!


	9. The Inconvenience of Whispering

Thanks so much to those that REVIEWED! You know who you are! Some of you just wanted to proclaim your love for the story, and others gave me some helpful insight. I know this chapter is short, but it's late and I have to get up early. I was just inspired to write when I saw so many reviews! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. Please enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks again!

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing 21 Jump Street, yadda yadda. Characters, Plot, setting, etc.

* * *

School was… Very interesting from then on. Every chance Tom got he would pull Ariana into some deserted hall or down the stairs to steal a kiss or two. It was like a game, as though the two really were back in high school. Nobody knew, not even Doug Penhall. And that is exactly how Ariana wanted it to stay.

Friday rolled around, and Ariana prepared herself for a date with Ty. She didn't know where they were going or what they would be doing, but she did know that she didn't like the idea of going off alone with him. However it was her job, so she got dressed, did her hair and makeup, and met him up at school. Once inside his car, she acted as her normal teen-age self.

"So what's the agenda for tonight?"

Ty shrugged, pulling away from the school and heading off down the street. "Just thought we would hang out at the garage. Denny's out of town, so he left Johnny the keys."

With a nod, Ariana looked over at the driver. "Can I ask you something?" She earned a nod and continued. "Emma, has she been acting weird lately?"

"I dunno," Ty shrugged again. "I don't really pay attention to any girl besides you." He flashed her a seductive smile, and Ariana was forced to look away as though hiding a blush.

She didn't want to be there. Something felt off. "Hm, I guess it's just me then. Ever since… I just keep thinking she is hiding something." Ariana stopped, not realizing that slipped out. She glanced over at Ty, who was furrowing his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she shrugged now, playing it cool. "Like she's really upset but she doesn't want anyone to know. I think she's hiding her feelings, and that's not healthy at all. She really needs to talk to someone." He fell for it.

"Yeah, I guess. But what do you care? You and Emma never really got along anyways."

"That's not true!" Ariana paused, shrugging once more. "Well, I mean, we didn't not like each other…"

"Yeah," Ty scoffed. "Okay."

* * *

The walk into the garage seemed to take forever. Ariana was getting the chills, she just knew something was wrong.

"Ty, when you said we would hang, who did you mean?"

"Us, Johnny, and Lilly. Why?"

Ariana paused, shaking her head. "Wait, Johnny and Lilly?"

"Yeah," the teen boy nodded. "They've gotten real close over the past couple weeks. It's weird, when we were kids everyone thought they would be the ones to end up together, but then Johnny and Beth happened and…" He shrugged. "Anyways, let's go, we're already late."

She followed him into the back, through office and upstairs to the second floor where they did all the work on smaller car parts. Lilly and Johnny were already there, her sitting on his lap as he lounged in an old armchair.

"Oh, Ari!" Lilly jumped up, hurrying over and hugging the cop. "So glad you came, I was afraid it would just be me tonight with these boys." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey," Ariana smiled, hugging the girl back. She had to be a good actress to pull this off. "Of course I came. I haven't gotten to really hang out in forever. So, what's the latest gossip?"

She and Lilly took their own seats a few feet from the boys, Lilly spilling all the latest high school smack-talk. Only five or so minutes went by before Ariana noticed the two boys get up and walk downstairs. She waited another moment before stopping her friend.

"I gotta go to the bathroom, gimme one sec?" The teen nodded, smiling, and Ariana stood and made her way downstairs. She went in through the office, casually, sneaking her way into the back hallway.

It was there that she slowed and remained very quiet. She moved down the hall, pausing at the first door and glancing in. Nothing. She looked down the hall just a bit, finally noticing the third door had light emitting from the glass window. Ariana inched over, peeking in through the window.

There were Johnny and Ty, standing over a table with car parts sprawled out. Some of the parts had been pushed back, and a large green duffle bag was sitting on the table. It was open, and Ariana saw bricks of a white powder inside. She assumed it was Cocaine. That was the drug causing so many problems at the school currently. And Johnny had a brick in his hand, holding it towards Ty to show him something.

"What was I supposed to do? Beth found out! I couldn't just keep it a secret any more. She was going to tell someone, you know that, I know that, everyone does."

"I don't get it. Beth didn't actually tell anyone yet, and you say she knew for over a week. How do you know she was going to tell?"

Johnny paused, rolling his eyes. "Look, Ty, Beth was a goody-two-shoes, everyone knew that. I thought I could trust her, but before I knew it she was running off to Ariana."

"Woah," Ty shook his head. "She doesn't know. Trust me, if she did, she would have gone to authorities already. She's worse than Beth."

"What I'm saying is that Beth was going to tell Ariana. I picked her up right before she had the chance to."

Ty sighed, shaking his head. "So what are you saying? You want me to see if she knows? I can't just come out and ask her 'hey, did Beth happen to tell you that Johnny and I are selling Cocaine right before she mysteriously wound up dead?'" He shook his head. "If she didn't know then, after that she will!"

"All I'm saying is," Johnny started. "Maybe you should be more careful about bringing her around here. I'm not worried about Lilly finding out, she's a dumb as a rock. What I am worried about is what'll happen if your girl goes and gets curious." He paused, leaning closer to Ty and whispering something.

Ariana's heart was racing. She'd had her suspicions about Johnny, and even about Ty being involved in the whole drug thing. Hence why she was undercover in their group. However she hadn't thought that they would have been a part of Beth's murder. She wished they hadn't started whispering, it was very inconvenient, for her at least. But that was the point, for nobody else to hear their conversation. She knew that she had to disappear and get back upstairs, and fast.

She hurried back down the hallway, finding the bathroom and going in. She immediately flushed the toilet and washed her hands, quickly drying them as she casually walked back upstairs. She smiled meekly at Lilly, holding her stomach.

"Sorry, I think I ate some bad chicken earlier…"

"Oh no," Lilly frowned, reaching out towards her. "You okay?"

Ariana shrugged, sitting down and crossing her arms over her stomach. "I dunno… Going to the bathroom didn't really seem to help at all…"

The boys returned a moment later, taking their seats by the girls. Ty raised a brow, wrapping his arm around Ariana's shoulders.

"What's up, babe?"

"She isn't feeling good. I think you should take her home."

Ariana nodded, leaning her head on Ty's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, I had chicken after school and I think it wasn't cooked all the way."

Johnny eyed Ty, nodding once before draping his own arm over Lilly. "Go head, bro. We can get together later and discuss work."

Ty nodded, helping Ariana to her feet. She threw a grateful smile to Johnny. "Thanks a bunch, sorry for ruining your night…"

"Nah," he smiled, waving it off. "Don't worry 'bout it. Besides, Lilly and I were thinking about going to see a movie anyways. You get home and get some sleep."

* * *

The car-ride home was a bit weird. Pretending to be sick was easy, pretending to not know about Ty and Johnny was hard. He pulled up to the two story house - owned by the Police department - putting his car in park and turning towards her.

"Sure you don't want me to walk you inside?"

Ariana rolled her eyes, smiling lightly. "I'm sick Ty, not stupid."

"What?" He grinned. "You think I would take advantage of you in your moment of weakness?" Ty batted his eyelashes, chuckling. "Come on, babe, you know I'm just messin' with ya. I just wish I could make you feel better."

"Aw," Ariana smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Just knowing you want me better already makes me feel better. See ya on Monday." She smiled, getting out of the car and walking up to the house. She turned, waving as he drove off.

Fifteen minutes later she was at the Chapel, walking inside to find Judy the only one left inside. Not that she could really blame the others, it was a Friday night, after all.

"Judy, oh thank God." Ariana hurried over to the woman's desk, placing her hands on it and leaning over to catch her breath. "You'll never believe what I just witnessed."

"What?" Judy's eyes went wide, and she tensed.

* * *

That's it for now. I like me my cliff-hangers! Sorry, please read and review with any ideas or comments, or just to tell me if you like it or hate it. Thanks all, and I'll try to have the next chapter up ASAP!


	10. Surprise, Surprise

Sorry it took forever! I planned on updating on Christmas for everyone, but then I went and caught that stupid 24-hour bug that everybody and their mom had! So here it is! It's a long one, so you can't hate me for too long! Read and Review, please!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything 21 Jump Street used in this story, blah blah blah.

* * *

Ariana finally caught her breath, and started to tell Judy what had happened. However the other girl stood up, holding her hand up and pausing Ariana.

"Wait, you probably want to talk to the Captain, don't you?"

"Um," Ariana nodded. "That would be why I came here, yes."

"Alright," Judy grabbed her purse and turned the light on her desk off. "I know where he is, come on."

Ariana followed her outside, getting into her car and waiting silently as they drove. She didn't quite understand why Judy had just up and told her they were leaving. Well, she kind of did, but at the same time she had just wanted to tell someone.

* * *

They pulled up in front of a two-story white house, of which none of the lights were on. Ariana glanced at her friend, shrugging it off and assuming that this was Captain Fuller's house, and he was sleeping.

However, upon entering the home, Ariana found herself standing in pitch black. She couldn't see or hear anything. After a few seconds, the lights flicked on, and everyone from the Chapel jumped up, screaming in unison.

"Surprise!"

Judy laughed, clapping along with the others as Ariana just stared at everyone. Tom, Doug, Harry, and Fuller were all in front, Tom smiling wider than any of the others. The clapping and cheering slowly died down, and Judy patted Ariana's back.

"Happy birthday, girl!"

"I…" Ariana blinked, looking over. "I don't remember telling anyone…"

"I did, I thought it would be nice to get to know everyone and what better way than to have a birthday party?" Fuller walked over, taking Ariana's hand and shaking it before going to Judy and conversing with her.

Doug, Harry, and Tom all walked over, Tom hanging back just a little. They all said their happy birthdays, and Tom finally walked up, his brow furrowing slightly. He waited until everyone else had walked into the back of the house or outside to the barbecue pit before speaking.

"Hey, what's up?"

Ariana shook her head, a feeling of relief overwhelming her as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I just got back from my _date._" She put a sarcastic emphasis on the word date, and Tom's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Yeah, how was it?" Tom earned a glared before Ariana went on.

"Revealing. I went to the Chapel to see Fuller, but Judy was the only one there. Now I see why." She pushed him away gently, giving him that warning look as one of their coworkers walked by. The other guy, Jim, wished her happy birthday as he made his way down the hall towards the bathroom.

"I really need to see him, okay? I'll tell you about it later." She brushed past him politely, her hand touching his lightly as she moved outside. She found Captain Fuller by the barbecue pit, where he, Doug, and Harry were all standing around with beers in their hands, chatting. She walked over, smiling lightly.

"Hey guys," they nodded, and she continued. "Captain, can I speak to you?"

The two of them moved further into the yard, where there were less people.

"Happy birthday, Ariana. How's it feel to be a year older?"

She shrugged, having not really thought about it being her birthday. "Honestly, Captain, I sorta forgot until just now." She shook her head before continuing. "Look, the reason I came was because I needed to talk to you about what happened when I was with Ty tonight. See, the owner of his garage left Johnny Martins the keys while he went out of town, so Ty, myself, Lilly Evans, and Johnny all went there to hang out."

It took her all of five minutes to tell him everything that she's seen and heard, and she stared at him when she finished.

"So… I'm thinking that we should probably bring them in and question them."

"No," Fuller shook his head. "If we bring them in, they'll know something is up. You're going to just have to stick with them for a bit longer. See if you can work your way into the actual drug ring, or at least work Ty for some information. Let him know he can trust you, all that. But," the older man put a warning finger up. "Make sure you get the information legally. I want to be able to use all of it in court if they really did have anything to do with Beth's murder."

You could definitely say that Ariana was disappointed. She didn't want to be near Ty anymore, or anyone in that school honestly. But if the Captain thought it was better this way, then she had no choice but to go with it. She nodded, flinching slightly as a hand smacked her back playfully, yet with enough force to tell her it was a man.

"So, Langscar, how's it feel to be an old lady?"

Ariana turned, eyes narrowed slightly at Doug. "I'm twenty-three, that's still three years younger than you. As far as I'm concerned, you're the old one here, Penhall." The tiny smirk on her lips gave it away that she wasn't actually being mean, and Doug laughed.

"Yeah, ya got me there, that's for sure." He held up a beer bottle, frosted on the outside. "Want one?"

"No thanks," Ariana smiled politely. "I don't drink."

"Awe, that's no fun." Doug wrapped his arm around her shoulder and leaned in to whisper. "How am I supposed to get Tom to take you home if you aren't drunk?"

Ariana elbowed the taller man in the ribs, earning an 'Oof' as she turned and shook her head.

"If you had just asked politely I'm sure he would have given me a ride, like a real gentleman." She laughed as she walked into the house, feeling a bit overwhelmed. She wasn't used to so many people, at least there to celebrate her.

"Hey, where ya going?"

The birthday girl turned to see Judy, and smiled lightly. "Um, bathroom?"

"Oh, it's upstairs, second door on the right. Here, Tom!" And who should appear at that moment but Tom Hanson.

"What's up Judy?"

"Show the birthday girl to the bathroom, will ya?" Without waiting for a response, the other female turned and hurried into the kitchen, shouting something about a cake.

"Well then…" Tom laughed, gesturing to the stairs and heading up.

Ariana followed, glancing around at the people downstairs.

"Enjoying the party?" Tom asked as he reached the second floor landing, turning down the hall to the left.

"I guess, I mean if you're into this whole big party type thing."

Tom glanced at her as he stopped in front of a white door to the right. "You mean you aren't?"

"Nope," Ariana paused in the doorway, looking up into those brown eyes of his. "Not when everyone's attention is on me at least."

"I see…" Tom put his hands on either side of the door, leaning forward. "So you'd prefer just a nice quite day off, relaxing in your apartment with Kelly and… Nobody else?"

A smile crept onto Ariana's lips, and she glanced down the hall to make sure nobody was around. "Well, maybe just one other person…"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She placed a quick kiss on Tom's lips before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door in his face.

"Oh, come on!" Tom shook his head, stepping back and leaning against the wall across from the bathroom as he smiled. This girl was torturing him, and they both knew it.

Ariana did her business in the bathroom, pausing after washing her hands just long enough to check her hair. What? She was a bit self-conscious around Tom. Not that she needed to be, but she just was. She opened the door, walking out and winking at Tom before making her way back downstairs to the party.

* * *

Two hours and lots of cake and ice-cream later everyone made their way out of Fuller's house and into their cars. Of course Ariana had to curse herself for not noticing them all lined up on the other side of the street. That right there was a dead giveaway that a party was being held somewhere close.

She shook hands and thanked everyone until the guests dwindled down to only her, Judy, Doug, Harry, and Tom.

"Well, guys, I have to say, I was definitely surprised." She looked around at everyone. "So, thanks. I really appreciate it."

"That's just how we do things at the Chapel. It's no biggie." Harry gave her a pat on the back before saying his goodbyes and leaving.

Judy and Doug gave each other a suspicious glance before the female officer walked over to Ariana, hugging her.

"Have a great night, tell Kelly I can't wait to see her again. And don't worry about being so old," she paused to wink before Doug finished for her.

"Yeah, Fuller's got us all beat by twenty years." He gave her a quick hug before the two of them left, and Ariana found herself standing in front of the Captain's house with just Tom.

"Well, I guess thanks for everything, Captain. And I'll see you tomorrow to file my report."

"Pssht," he scoffed. "No way. Take the day off. Relax, it's your birthday weekend. File it first thing on Monday. Besides, I already know what happened, so it's not like you're hiding anything. Now, get outta here so this old man can get some sleep." He smiled, patted her shoulder, shook Tom's hand, and disappeared inside his house.

Tom and Ariana chuckled before turning and heading towards the street.

"So, need a ride?"

Ariana looked over at Tom, raising a brow. "Tom Hanson, you don't have any crazy ideas going through that head of yours, do you?"

"What?" He scoffed, placing his hands on his chest as the two of them stopped on the passenger side of his Mustang. "I'm hurt by that! I was just trying to be nice and give the birthday girl a ride home so she didn't have to wait to get home and spend the night with Kelly and one other person…"

"Fine," she opened the door, climbing into the seat and looking up at Tom. "But just so you know you aren't the other person." She smiled as she pulled the door shut. Yeah, that might be mean, but if he really knew her, then he would know she was just kidding.

Apparently he really knew her, because he climbed into the driver's seat with a smile, started the car, and headed straight for the apartment.

* * *

They arrived, laughing together at some joke that Tom had cracked, and before Ariana could even blink, he'd turned off the car and hurried to her side, opening the door for her.

"Oh, a real gentleman. Funny, Doug and I were just having a discussion about this earlier."

"Really?" He helped her out of the car, shutting the door but not releasing her hand. "And what exactly was said during this discussion?"

Ariana shook her head, flicking him on the nose with her free hand as she leaned back against his car. "Now Tom, what did I tell you about being so nosey?"

"I'm a cop," he shrugged, stepping closer and leaning into her, fingers of one hand entwined in hers, his free hand caressing her cheek. "It's just my nature."

"Well you're going to have to change that, Mr. Hanson, because it's going to get you into trouble one of these days."

"Really? Because it's worked out for me pretty well so far."

Ariana shrugged, her free hand toying with the collar of his shirt before resting on his chest. "You're just lucky I guess."

"I am, aren't I?" He winked, leaning down and gently kissing her.

Ariana smiled into the kiss, her grip on Tom's hand tightening ever so slightly. It was passionate and sweet, and neither of them wanted to break it. But Ariana knew that she had to get inside or Kelly would start to worry. So, after a minute, or two… She finally pulled back, smiling.

"Come on, Kelly's gonna flip if I don't get home soon." That said, she pushed Tom backwards just a step and started towards her building, him in tow.

He pulled her to a stop, brow furrowed.

"Wait, what?"

Ariana rolled her eyes, placing her free hand on her hip. "Tom Hanson I am not going to wait outside for you all night. Are you coming in or not?"

Tom paused, surprise written across his features.

"I was serious when I said earlier that I wanted you there," she stated.

"No, no, no." He chuckled. "You said that you wanted to spend your night with Kelly and one other person. You never said me."

Ariana dropped his hand, crossing her arms. "Fine, if you don't want to come inside then I can just call Mrs. Jenkins. I'm sure she'd-"

"Oh no!" Tom grabbed her, picking her up bridal style and walking towards the building. "Like Hell I'm gonna pass up this chance."

"Tom!" Ariana laughed as he carried her, her arms locked around his neck. "I swear if you drop me or hit my head on the door I'll kill you!"

"Pssht, have some faith, please." He opened the door easily and headed for the stairs. Then he stopped, looking around.

Ariana giggled, watching him. "You have no idea where you're going."

"Nope, not a clue." They both laughed and Tom gently set her feet on the ground.

"Come on, up we go." She grabbed his hand and the two started up the stairs.

* * *

They stopped just outside the apartment, and Ariana paused with the key extended. Tom watched her, noticing the hesitation.

"Hey, if you don't want me to-"

"No, I do…" She shrugged. "It's just Kelly… She's never taken to any of my boyfriends like she has to you. It's like she's a whole different person around you." Ariana couldn't help but smile. "You're so good to her, and even when I was a complete bitch to you-"

"Okay." Tom covered her mouth, laughing. "I get it." He took his hand away, placing it on her shoulder. "Look, I know why you acted the way you did. You were just trying to protect your daughter. Understandable. Was it a bit extreme? Eh, yeah," he laughed at the glare he received, but continued. "But that's okay. You're Kelly's mom, and you're a great mom. You love her, it's obvious. I don't want you to feel like I'm getting in the way."

There was a moment of silence during which Ariana just glared at Tom.

"Damn you and perfectness. Now shut up and let's get this over with."

Tom laughed as Ariana unlocked the door and pushed it open. Kelly and Mrs. Jenkins were in the kitchen, putting the final touches on a pink and purple cake that they had baked.

"Happy birthday, mommy!" Kelly's eyes lit up even more when Tom walked into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "Tom!"

The six-year-old jumped down from her chair and ran into the living room, jumping into Tom's arms. He caught her and spun her around a few times, stopping only once she was giggling hysterically and smiled at her.

"Hey, Munchkin. How's it hanging?"

"Mrs. Jenkins and me made a cake for mom, and I made her a present at school, and we have games that we always play, and, and-"

"Okay, Kelly." Ariana laughed, gesturing towards the hall to the right. "Why don't you go get all that cake off yourself, wash your hands, and then the four of us can eat and play games, huh?"

Her daughter nodded fervently and Tom let her down so she could run to the bathroom.

"And use soap!"

Ariana turned, smacking him playfully in the arm as he laughed.

"What? Just making sure she remembers."

"Well," Mrs. Jenkins started. "I see we have an unexpected visitor tonight. I guess that means I should call it a night, huh?"

"Oh, no, you can stay." Ariana glanced at Tom as he moved into the living room out of the way.

"No, no. Besides, I'm old, I need my sleep. You kids play nice, and don't forget that Kelly is here." She gave Tom a motherly glance before heading across the hall to her own apartment.

Ariana chuckled nervously, blushing. "Wow… That was awkward."

Tom shrugged, chuckling as well. "Yeah well she just doesn't know me all that well. I'm respectable." He smiled as Kelly came running back into the room.

"Okay, what game first mommy? It's your birthday, you pick!"

Ariana laughed as Kelly grabbed Tom's hand, pulling him to the couch and telling him to sit down, and he obeyed. Kelly then took her seat next to him, waiting for her mother to set the game up on the coffee table.

"I guess… Tom, you pick!"

* * *

Three games, more ice cream and more cake later, it was close to midnight, and Kelly was falling asleep leaning on Tom.

"I think it's bedtime," Ariana said quietly as she noticed Kelly's eyes were constantly closed.

Tom looked to his right, where the six-year-old was wrapped under her arm.

"Um, I'm going to have to agree with you on that one, momma."

Ariana stood, gently picking her daughter up and carrying her down the hall to her bedroom. She tucked the girl in, waiting a few minutes to make sure she was asleep before going back into the hall, gently pulling the bedroom door closed.

Upon walking back out to the living room, Ariana saw Tom cleaning up the games that were on the floor.

"You don't have to do that, really. I can get them."

"It's your birthday, you're supposed to relax." He finished boxing up the games, setting them on the coffee table and smiling. "So, how was your big day?"

"Ha." Ariana rolled her eyes, rubbing her neck. "Eventful, that's for sure." She let out a laugh. "I honestly never expected two surprise parties in one day. And I sure as Hell wasn't expecting for you to sit through three full board games."

Tom sat back on the couch, nodding as Ariana sat next to him.

"I'm worried, Tom."

He raised a brow, looking over at her. "Why?"

"I keep getting these weird feelings," she glanced at him. "Like, when I'm walking home from school or to work or wherever. It's like someone's watching me. But every time I look, there's nobody there."

"Who would be watching you?"

She shrugged, shaking her head. "It's stupid, really, but it feels like… Him." She glanced over at Tom, wondering if he knew who she was talking about. By the look on his face, she'd said he did.

"You never told me his name, you know that right?" He looked down at her, and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Daniel Barenick." Saying the name out loud was hard for her to do, especially to Tom. It was just Ariana admitting that he was real, and alive, and he still got to her.

"Hey," Tom pulled her closer, tightening his grip yet remaining gentle. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you or Kelly. I swear."

Ariana looked up at him, blinking through teary eyes and nodding. "You're too good to me."

"Yeah," he shrugged and smiled lightly. "But shhh… I don't know that."

Ariana sighed through a smile, leaning her head on Tom's shoulder as he held her. This was definitely the best birthday she'd had in… Well in her entire life.

* * *

So there it is! Hope you enjoyed, and please remember to Review! Thanks a bunch! ^.^


	11. Adorable

Sorry it took forever, but I've been having issues with writing lately. It's more like a dilema that needs my readers to help me. Read to the end to figure it out.

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything 21 Jump Street**

* * *

The steady beating of Tom's heart lulled Ariana to sleep that night. It was the same thing that woke her up the next morning. Her blue eyes fluttered open, as she tried to figure out what exactly it was that she was laying next to. When they adjusted to the light, the twenty-three-year-old realized that it was Tom. They were on her couch, him laying on his back, her huddled next to him with her head on his chest and his arms around her.

After a few seconds of confusion, Ariana went over the previous night's events. Nothing had happened; they'd just fallen asleep like that. It was… Strange, a foreign feeling to her. She hadn't slept with anyone –meaning men- in the same bed for years, six to be exact. I think it's safe to say that is why all she could do was stare up at Tom, wondering if it was real or not.

"Morning…" his voice came out low, grumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's no biggie," he shrugged, yawning as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with one hand, the other still holding onto the female. "Any idea what time it is?"

Ariana shook her head, grabbing his free hand and twisting his wrist gently to look at his watch. "It appears to be six twenty three in the morning."

"What?" Tom took his hand back, looking at the watch himself. "God, I don't ever wake up this early on the weekend." With a pause, he looked at her. "I think it's the couch."

With a laugh, Ariana sat up, stretching her arms above her head and nodding. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Kelly won't be up for another two hours. She's usually the one who runs into my room and attacks me."

Tom laughed, sitting up as well and raising a brow. "Really? I can see her just kicking the door open and lunging at you."

"Pretty much what she does! Except," Ariana smiled just picturing it happening. "She can be sneaky, too, like a ninja. Sometimes, when she wants to give me a heart attack, she'll creep in, silent as death, and the next thing I know I'm being woken up by a cold cup of water in my face." With a proud smile and a shake of her head, Ariana continued. "I swear she's going to be a ninja when she grows up."

"Oh?" He raised a brow. "She's not gonna follow mommy's footsteps and be cop?"

Ariana paused, swallowing the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. She shook her head, forcing a smile as she stood and headed into the kitchen.

"Nope, this is definitely not the type of life I want her to live."

Tom could tell he hit a nerve, and he stood, walking over to the little island separating the kitchen from the living room. He leaned onto it, watching as Ariana busied herself with the coffee maker.

"I didn't mean-"

"It's okay," Ariana interrupted him, pushing the 'START' button on the little black machine. "Really." She ran a hand through her hair as she turned towards Tom. "My reasons for joining the force were… Well, let's just say that when I was a kid, I wasn't running around playing cops and robbers." She let out a small chuckle, crossing her arms as she tried to blink the sleep the from her eyes.

"What about you? Did Tom Hanson always wanna be a cop?"

Tom picked up the hint, and changed the subject to himself.

"Actually, yes. My dad was a police officer, his dad was, and so on. I was born with it in my blood."

"So technically," Ariana started, raising a brow slightly. "You never had a choice, did you?"

There was a moment of silence as Tom thought about it. He shrugged, standing up and cracking his fingers; a habit he'd done his entire life.

"I guess, if you wanna look at it that way. I didn't ever really think about doing anything else. I wanted to be like my dad. He was a great cop, everyone on the force loved him."

"I bet he was a lousy father." Ariana was surprised at herself for having said that out loud. The expression on Tom's face didn't make her feel any better, either. "Oh my God, I didn't mean to say that. That came out way wrong."

Tom was shocked, that was obvious. But when he broke out into a smile, Ariana was extremely confused.

"Actually, yeah, he kind of was." Tom shrugged again, nodding. "I never realized it until now, but he was never there. I mean, I knew before, but after seeing how much time you spend with Kelly, I just thought that was normal." He paused a moment before continuing.

"I guess being in our specific line of work, we got lucky. You get to come home every night to your daughter, and I..."  
Ariana nodded, waiting for him to continue. "And you?"

Tom paused, biting his lower lip before looking across the counter at the woman. "I get to see you every day."

For a minute there, the birthday girl wasn't sure exactly how to respond to that. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and she let out an embarrassed laugh.

"You're an ass."

"What?" Tom let out a laugh as he got a roll of paper towels thrown at him. "I'm just being honest!" He hurried around the counter, dodging a wooden spoon as he grabbed Ariana around the waist. "You don't like me being so honest?"

Ariana laughed as she pushed on Tom's chest, trying to free herself from his grip. "I don't like it when you make me blush! It's embarrassing."

"I think it's adorable." Tom held her closer, with no intention of letting her go.

"I think you're adorable," Ariana laughed, giving in and wrapping her arms around Tom's neck.

"Yeah?" He raised a brow, leaning down towards her.

"Uh huh." Ariana smiled as she pulled Tom closer, pressing her lips to his in a quick kiss. "Extremely."

* * *

Okay, so here it is. I know that this is rated M (meaning Mature), but I was wondering if you all (the readers) wanted me to post (sometime within the next two or three chapters) a love scene between Tom and Ariana. It's not that big of a deal to most people, but I don't want to offend anyone. So, if you want one, let me know. If you will be offended by one, let me know. Either way, please review. Sorry this chapter was so short, but I really wanted to get one posted for you all. Again, thanks for reading, and please let me know!


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